legacycentral bbs

Hey folks! I'm a non-subaru owner, but looking to become one. I drive a '92 honda civic vx autocross car (fairly prepped). Fun as it is, it sucks as transportation (no interior, lots of noise, doesn't like snow, rides pretty harsh).

I'm hoping to get my hands on a 5-speed 4wd wagon (preferably turbo) sometime soon. Plans are to keep it plush and comfy while attempting to make it as quick as possible in a straight line. I haven't found a car, nor do I really have enough money for a decent one yet, so I'm just here to learn as much as possible before I get started. So expect a bunch of stupid questions from me over the next several months Anyway, I love the site, and look forward to getting to know some of you and hopefully becoming the proud new owner of a wagon!

-David

Welcome

just dont rice the car out and you and I will get along fine

Unfortunately, any Legacy Turbo wagons that ever made it here to the States were all automatic. There are a scant few transplants, including the one DLC, the admin of this board, did.

If you're stuck on 5-speed like me , then find a good N/A wagon, and rest assured you won't be disappointed. They're still tough as nails and a lot of fun.

Welcome to the board!

If you're extra stuck on five speed, and since its going to be awhile before you get around to buying a wagon, read up on the tranny swap.. goto some junkyards and other places and gather what you may need-- a turbo 5sp tranny, and make sure you're really familiar with all of what goes into the process. I just recently finished with an engine swap a couple of weeks back, and was surprised at how easy it was. You may consider buying an N/A with a bad engine and snag an EJ22T somewhere (the turbo version) and drop that in, and if you've still got more scrill, throw in a beefier turbo while you're at it.. Your Honda buddies won't know what hit 'em...
If you're fairly familiar with Hondas already, (engine stuff, not placement of stickers and neon lights) None of this should seem really intimidating.
In the end, you will have AWD and turbo, something a Civic will NEVER have, and it WILL be worth every bit of the time, effort, and money you put into it. We're pretty loyal around here... we love our cars.
Feel free to ask any questions, we have lots of knowledgeable people, not necessarily including myself.

welcome aboard,

-=tris

thanks for the suggestions. I'm definitely stuck on 5-speed, but I'm not afraid of swapping trannies, or motors for that matter. (duh, thats the only way to make a honda move ) In fact I was sorta planning on it in the long run.

Will any ej series fit? Even the new ones?

Like I said, I have a lot to learn.

Yes, any EJ series will fit. THe biggest problem with engine swaps in these cars is wiring, even if you're trying to stuff a 3.3 H6 in there. Plenty of other things from the newer cars also swap in.

Steve

You may want to check out dave's writeup on www.legacycentral.org as well as my write-up for more info on the tranny swap and issues that you might have www.surrealmirage.com/subaru/swap

Thanks again! Its sounding to me like a auto to manual swap may prove a little more difficult than just buying a wagon with a stick, and swapping the motor out. Is the n/a transmission robust enough, or would you recomend I upgrade that too?

And yeah, I've heard the wiring is a major PITA, so if I swap, hopefully theres someone who can help me out with wiring it up. After all, I am in Boulder.... everybody drives a subaru here.

the n/a transmission sucks, but the turbo trans isnt much better. There is no upgrade, save a sti 6 speed, which will cost you bucks. Cant really speak for you way up high there, but at sea level, the na has adequite power. Concensus is that the turbo really needs a bit of work to come alive, which aren't necessarily practical on a daily.

Scotts opinion- a na 5spd awd wagon is gonna be the least work and most cost effective solution since you've already got a toy.